ALTOONA, PA— A five-run first inning powered the Altoona Curve (21-31, 50-71) to their second straight win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (18-33, 48-71) at Peoples Natural Gas Field, 8-4. The Curve capitalized on an early jump and plated five runs in the first inning and never gave up the lead.
Fisher Cats first baseman Michael Turconi led the offense with a 3-for-4 night with a double and an RBI. Charles McAdoo reached three times on aa 2-for-3 night with a double and a walk, and center fielder Garrett Spain slugged his 10th home run of the season. New Hampshire has now hit a home run in six consecutive games, their longest stretch of the season with consecutive home runs.
New Hampshire starter Lazaro Estrada (L, 2-4) surrendered five runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning, as Altoona raced out to an early advantage. After Estrada struck out Curve leadoff hitter Termarr Johnson, Altoona rattled off five runs from their next five batters, including back-to-back doubles and a two-run home run from Jase Bowen.
Altoona starter Emmanuel Chapman gave up Spain’s solo home run in the top of the third inning, Spain’s first home run since June 18. Altoona’s Brad Case (W, 2-1) gave up a pair of hits and struck a batter out in two scoreless innings after Chapman’s departure.
Johnson, the Pirates’ No. 3 ranked prospect (MLB Pipeline) connected with his first Double-A home run since being promoted on August 27. The second baseman Johnson knocked a two-run homer off New Hampshire’s Nick Fraze in the bottom of the fourth inning to stretch the Curve’s lead to 7-1. Catcher Eli Wilson knocked another Curve homer to increase Altoona’s lead to 8-1.
The Fisher Cats scored three unanswered in the final innings. Shortstop Josh Rivera grounded in Turconi with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. Turconi later singled in a run after McAdoo’s double in the top of the eighth.